Alief''s GREAT Program

The Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) program is a life-skills competency program designed to provide students with the skills they need to avoid gang pressure and youth violence. G.R.E.A.T.'s violence prevention curriculum helps students develop values and practice behaviors that will assist them to avoid destructive activities. The G.R.E.A.T. program coordinates with federal, regional, state and local agencies, as well as individuals from community and civic groups. The goal of the G.R.E.A.T. program is to train law enforcement officers in a school-based curriculum in which the officers provide instruction to school-aged children in life skill competencies, gang awareness, and anti-violence techniques. Training in the core G.R.E.A.T. program is provided to officers from any state or local law enforcement agency.

The Allied Independent School District Police Department will utilize grant funding to implement a four phased G.R.E.A.T. program. The implementation of this program will occur through four interconnected phases. The interventions will be led by the two proposed intervention officers in collaboration with other school and community stakeholders. Utilizing the concepts of wrap-around interventions and the awareness/knowledge/skills model, these proposed strategies will complement and strengthen ongoing gang prevention efforts throughout the schools and community. Phase one of the comprehensive district-wide gang prevention/intervention plan is to implement the elementary component of G.R.E.A.T. for fifth graders through the extended specialty classes at six intermediate campuses and three elementary campuses which still contain fifth graders. Phase two of the plan is to implement the middle school component of G.R.E.A.T. at six middle school campuses reaching 3400 seventh graders through the health classes of the first and second semesters. Phase three of the plan is to implement the G.R.E.A.T. Families Component at the three elementary, six intermediate, and six middle school campuses reaching 240 families. The fourth and final phase of the program is to implement the G.R.E.A.T. Summer curriculum during the months of June and July.

CA/NCF